Sunday, July 29, 2012

On the definition of a refugee

"A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself to the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it."

The 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

Some Facts about Asylum in the UK

The Home Office detains around 1000 children seeking asylum with their families each year

(Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, Intercollegiate Briefing, 2009)

The U.K. is home to less than 2% of the world's refugees

(UNHCR 2008 Global Trends Paper)

Around 80% of the world's refugees are living in developing countries, often in camps. Africa and Asia host between them, more than three quarters of the world's refugees. Europe looks after just 14%

(UNHCR Global Trends Paper, 2007)

Most asylum seekers in the U.K. are living in poverty and experience poor health and hunger.